12.3.13

Ferragamo-Inspired Art by Tim Marrs

Tim Marrs created two pieces for Salvatore Ferragamo's Los Angeles pop-up shop. "A handful of artists were asked to make images that were based on classic Ferragamo designs; I chose a pair of unalike bracelets and using them as a starting point, I put my own spin on it, keeping California in mind," said Marrs. "The first played with substitution – the jewelry reminded me of an infinity pool, so I set that against the L.A. landscape." His second submission combined a more literal representation of the luxury item and urban grittiness. "I wasn't expecting them to go for it," Marrs admitted, "but they were rather happy."

He began by spray-painting canvases and brought the backdrops and miscellaneous elements into Photoshop to put them together. The completed works went on display as part of the "Hollywood Experience" exhibition in the store, which is situated in the newly opened Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. One was shown on an interactive screen and the other was printed and placed with an exclusive line of accessories. "It was challenging to not be overly concerned with the Ferragamo aesthetic and to have faith in my process," Marrs remarked. "It ended up being good fun because it was such a loose brief … I tried to let go a bit and hopefully that comes through in the imagery."